


Take Me Back To The Night We Met

by ToastWinchester



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-11 01:11:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15304122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToastWinchester/pseuds/ToastWinchester
Summary: Connor goes to visit Hank, and reminisces about old times





	Take Me Back To The Night We Met

_I am not the only traveler_  
_Who has not repaid his debt_  
_I've been searching for a trail to follow again_  
_Take me back to the night we met_

It was a summer's evening, around 8pm, but still light. As Connor drove towards his destination, he found his mind wandering. Thankfully his systems took care of most of the driving for him, as he got lost further and further inside his own mind.

His thoughts took him back to his first meeting with Hank. He remembered how confident and self assured he was before he became a deviant. There were many perks to deviancy, it was true, but one of the major downsides was the constant concern over his choices, and how they would affect others around him, whereas before this was something he hadn't had to worry about. Connor's only concern all those years ago was completing his mission.

He cringed remembering the way he took Hank's drink and tipped it out in front of him. What made him think that that was a good way to get things done? Hank had hated him initially, that much he knew for certain, mainly because Hank took a great deal of pleasure in reminding him how much of a “smug little prick” he was, back before he deviated. Connor wanted to go back in time and slap his past self for being so horribly embarrassing. 

He remembers registering the disgust in Hank's eyes after he poured Hank's whisky out onto the bar, but it hadn't mattered to him, not back then. Connor couldn't even begin to imagine the way he would feel if he saw Hank look at him that way now.

_And then I can tell myself_  
_What the hell I'm supposed to do_  
_And then I can tell myself_  
_Not to ride along with you_

Connor takes a look around the car, still the same one after all of these years. It was old fashioned, even back when they first met, it was practically antique now. The only reason it had survived this long was because Connor had managed to convince Hank to let him get under the hood and do some updates and repairs. 

He never touched the interior, however. That was special. After all these years, the passenger side seat had been worn to the shape of Connor perfectly. The driver's side seat most likely fit Hank perfectly before they ever even met. It felt weird, if not slightly comforting, to be sitting in Hank's usual seat. 

Even without Hank in the car it still smelt like him. Even though Connor would normally have opened a window to feel the breeze (something which after his updates, he found to be particularly enjoyable), he didn't dare, not wanting to reduce the scent inside the car. Along with Hank's natural smell, there were also faint traces of other things; whisky, fast food grease, wet dog. The smell brought Connor back to some of his favourite times spent there.

One of his favourite times they had spent together in the car was when they had gone to the beach with Sumo. They'd spent pretty much the whole day there, Connor had packed a lunch before they left, so they didn't even need to leave the beach until it was time for them to come home. As soon as they'd got in the car Sumo fell asleep, sprawled across the back seat. Hank didn't mind that he was absolutely soaking wet with sea water, as long as he was comfortable (well, aside from bitching about the smell it made for a few weeks after). Hank had his music playing as loud as the car could handle, and was singing along as loud as his vocal cords would allow. Connor didn't know what had come over him when he started singing along too. Not voice mimicking, but actually singing, in his own voice. It seemed to make Hank happy, as he threw an arm over Connor's shoulders for the rest of the ride home as they sang together.

It was the first time Connor remembers consciously considering the three of them “a real family”.

_I had all and then most of you, some and now none of you_  
_Take me back to the night we met_  
_I don't know what I'm supposed to do, haunted by the ghost of you_  
_Oh, take me back to the night we met_

The beach trip seemed so long ago now, Connor thought. It was not long after they had officially become a couple, and was well before they had gotten married.

Connor's train of thought took him next to the wedding. They had considered themselves married long before it was ever official, but the wedding was the icing on the cake. The pair had been a couple for 5 years 3 months 12 days, when the Human/Android Marriage Bill was finally passed, and as soon as it was Connor dove head first into wedding planning. It had seemed to amuse Hank to no end how much of a “bridezilla” Connor was when it came to all of the wedding details. To Connor the wedding was one of the most important events of his life (which Hank decided was a little fucked up, considering he pretty much at the centre of the revolution, but he didn't want to shit all over Connor's enthusiasm, so he kept that to himself until after the wedding). 

Connor had done his research on weddings, and decided that if it was supposed to be representative of his love for Hank, then it only made sense that it needed to be perfect, because he loved Hank more than anything.

Their ceremony was everything that Connor had hoped for. Beautiful and intimate, with only their closest friends attending. During their first dance, Connor could feel nothing but love coming from everyone in the room. Afterwards, they had taken a quiet walk to Cole's grave, bringing with them some of the flowers from the wedding to lay on the grave. Hank hadn't really spoken much about Cole when they had first gotten together, but throughout their time as a couple, he'd heard stories here and there, and gradually Hank had started to open up about his son. Connor was unendingly proud of Hank for visiting the grave. He hadn't gone since the funeral, and Connor felt like him going on the wedding day really helped Hank to begin to heal. 

 

_When the night was full of terrors_  
_And your eyes were filled with tears_  
_When you had not touched me yet_  
_Oh, take me back to the night we met_

Connor finally arrived at his destination. Even after the wedding, he had never quite gotten why Hank had never been to visit Cole's grave, but now, staring down the rows of gravestones, he finally understood.

He knew Hank was dead. He was with Hank when he died. But seeing all of the gravestones again, it felt too... real. 

The worst night of Connor's life had been a deceptively peaceful one. He and Hank both knew what was coming, but both were too stubborn to admit it. During the few months prior, Connor had secretly started monitoring Hank's vitals, even though Hank had forbidden it, saying it was intrusive and fucking creepy. It didn't take Hank long at all to realise he was doing it, his anxious glances when he thought Hank wasn't looking was enough to tell him he was being watched. Not that he actually minded all too much. Not when it was Connor.

They had been laying in bed together when Hank's vitals started to slowly drop. Connor knew that it was pointless calling an ambulance. Whether Hank would admit it or not, he was very, very old, and this was just... a consequence of that. Instead, Connor just held Hank close, stroking his hair gently with one hand, and holding his hand with the other, until he passed. It was peaceful. The best death anyone could have hoped for.

But he was still dead.

Connor spent 6 minutes just sitting and holding Hank, before finally calling an ambulance, not moving until the crew was at the door. 

The next few weeks were a blur. Between getting things organised and receiving condolences, Connor barely had a minute to think. The funeral was intimate, just like their wedding, as Connor didn't think he would be able to handle a large crowd. It wasn't until he got up to read the eulogy he had written for Hank that he finally began to cry, for the first time since Hank had passed. He cried so much that he thought his entire system would shut down. Markus and Simon came to him after a few moments. Simon gently guided him back to his seat, as Markus read Connor's eulogy out to all of the guests. 

By the end of it, there wasn't anyone who wasn't crying.

_I had all and then most of you, some and now none of you_  
_Take me back to the night we met_  
_I don't know what I'm supposed to do, haunted by the ghost of you_  
_Take me back to the night we met_

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, Connor arrived at Hank's grave. It was well maintained. Markus must have been keeping track of it, Connor thought, with a pang of guilt. With a sigh he sat down, his back resting against the headstone, as he pulled out a bottle of Hank's favourite whisky out of the inside pocket of his shirt. Removing the lid he took a few gulps, before pouring the rest out next to him.

Tears flowed freely down Connor's face, but he didn't notice them, not anymore. 

If Hank could see him now, he'd probably be pretty annoyed. Connor could almost hear him now.

“What are you doing, crying over an old guy like me? What, did you think I was going to live forever?”

The Hank in his head was right. He knew he wasn't going to live forever. Dying was just what humans did. He knew Hank was going to die one day, of course he knew it. It didn't make it hurt any less. As sad as he was though, he wouldn't have traded his time with Hank for anything. The pain he was in now was worth every second he had gotten to spend with Hank.

Connor took a breath to steady himself, before thrusting his hand inside his own chest, and taking out his thirium pump regulator, setting it down on the ground next to him. His vision turned red, as notifications popped up, counting down the time before he shut down.

He lay on his side on Hank's grave, as if he were about to go to sleep. He placed his hand on his regulator, before speaking in a quiet mumble as the last few seconds ticked away.

“You had my heart from day one, Hank. I think it's about time I gave it back.”


End file.
